title: Lung cancer tumorigenicity and drug resistance are maintained through ALDH(hi)CD44(hi) tumor initiating cells.
abstract: Limited improvement in long term survival of lung cancer patients has been achieved by conventional chemotherapy or targeted therapy. To explore the potentials of tumor initiating cells (TIC)-directed therapy, it is essential to identify the cell targets and understand their maintenance mechanisms. We have analyzed the performance of ALDH/CD44 co-expression as TIC markers and treatment targets of lung cancer using well-validated in vitro and in vivo analyses in multiple established and patient-derived lung cancer cells. The ALDH(hi)CD44(hi) subset showed the highest enhancement of stem cell phenotypic properties compared to ALDH(hi)CD44(lo), ALDH(lo)CD44(hi), ALDH(lo)CD44(lo) cells and unsorted controls. They showed higher invasion capacities, pluripotency genes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition transcription factors expression, lower intercellular adhesion protein expression and higher G2/M phase cell cycle fraction. In immunosuppressed mice, the ALDH(hi)CD44(hi)xenografts showed the highest tumor induction frequency, serial transplantability, shortest latency, largest volume and highest growth rates. Inhibition of sonic Hedgehog and Notch developmental pathways reduced ALDH+CD44+ compartment. Chemotherapy and targeted therapy resulted in higher AALDH(hi)CD44(hi) subset viability and ALDH(lo)CD44(lo) subset apoptosis fraction. ALDH inhibition and CD44 knockdown led to reduced stemness gene expression and sensitization to drug treatment. In accordance, clinical lung cancers containing a higher abundance of ALDH and CD44-coexpressing cells was associated with lower recurrence-free survival. Together, results suggested theALDH(hi)CD44(hi)compartment was the cellular mediator of tumorigenicity and drug resistance. Further investigation of the regulatory mechanisms underlying ALDH(hi)CD44(hi)TIC maintenance would be beneficial for the development of long term lung cancer control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Sunny Kit-Man
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Vicky Pui-Chi
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Tin
authors.forename: Ka-Yan
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Junwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mai-Har
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: Maria Pik
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase